Air Force Marathon registration to open Jan. 2

Rachel Harley from Birmingham, Ala., crosses the finish line Sept. 17, 2016, to become the winner of the 20th U.S. Air Force Marathon women's full marathon division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, with a time of 2:58:34. Registration for the 2017 race begins Jan. 2 at 9 a.m. EST. (U.S. Air Force file photo)

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – If you missed registering for the sold-out 2016 Air Force Marathon, mark Jan. 2 at 9 a.m. EST on your calendar. That’s when registration will begin for the 2017 event.

Registration will open with special New Year’s resolution discounts, and participants who register Jan. 2 will receive $10 off the full or half marathon and $5 off the 10K or 5K.

The change from the traditional Jan. 1 date is driven by customer service, said race director Rob Aguiar.

“We wanted to open registration this year on a day and time when the staff is in the office.” said Aguiar, “We think this offers a better level of customer support so that if a person has questions during registration, they can call and we’ll be there to assist.”

The Air Force Marathon sold out in July 2016 and organizers anticipate selling out even faster in 2017.

The featured aircraft for the event is still to be determined.

The Air Force Marathon, presented by Northrop Grumman, USAA and Boeing, will be Sept. 16. The Sports & Fitness Expo is held at Wright State University’s Nutter Center and will be Sept. 14-15. The event will feature a gourmet pasta dinner and Breakfast of Champions on Sept. 15. For more information about the race visit www.usafmarathon.com.